Childhood and youth
This girl showed the will to live and win even at her very birth. The baby was born weak and seven months old. But time passed, and Adelina Sotnikova demonstrated a real fighting spirit.
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Adelina Sotnikova with her father
In 2000, when Adelina was 4 years old, the girl stepped on the ice for the first time. This happened at a sports school in Biryulyovo. The first coach of the future figure skating star was Anna Patrikeeva. And at the age of 7, Adelina Sotnikova was already training at the CSKA school.
Adeline's character and hard work quickly bore fruit. Thanks to intensive training, the athlete managed to win the 2008 Russian Figure Skating Championship.
“The first prize is 30 thousand rubles. Dad didn’t get that much.” Adelina Sotnikova ended her career
Olympic champion Adelina Sotnikova decided to end her sports career. In the studio of the Rossiya channel, she explained her decision, talked about being hospitalized, remembered the victory in Sochi, and also reflected on love and the role of family.
About your health status
I had a very difficult operation. As they say, nothing was foreshadowed. It’s just how life is, I had to go through it. I was incredibly afraid of operations, since my sister had three of them. I thought: “God forbid in my life I have an operation, anesthesia, that’s all.”
It all started in the summer. I went on tour, we performed in Turkey. I am a singles skater, but I had to pair up and learn doubles elements. Naturally, this is a new load, new sensations, the whole body hurts. And from that moment I felt that my back hurt. Well, it hurts and hurts, this is normal for an athlete. Everything hurts, it’s a sin to complain about it.
Evgeniy Semenov, Sport24
I was invited to perform at demonstration performances at the Moscow Grand Prix stage. I remember that day, it was November 17th. Before performances, we stretch our necks and backs, we need to crunch everything so that everything in the body is comfortable. I start to warm up, crunch, and realize that something seems to have flown out of me. I think: “Well, it’s gone. So, it will be necessary to straighten it later.” And in December I realized that no, I can’t. Because I can neither sleep nor sit normally. I need to find a position somehow. Because from the shoulder, chest and arm - I just felt numb. It happens that you serve a hand, and little women run all over it. And half of my body is like this, 24 to 7. I didn’t understand what was happening. I take pills - nothing helps.
I think we need to go and do an MRI of the entire spine to understand what is happening. I went to the doctor. At first he told me in riddles and jokes. I even laughed when he started telling me what and how. And then he says: “Seriously, give up the show, we will hospitalize you. Go to bed now." I say: “What do you mean?!” He told me: “You might just get jammed.”
Naturally, I consulted a lot with my family about what to do. I understood that I couldn’t let people down either. Because I am the kind of person, if I said that I would perform, then I will perform. I had to negotiate with doctors to help me. They told me to lower everything to the level of almost just lifting a handle, and that’s all. Naturally, I couldn’t do that. Of course, I reduced the jumping load and did not do triple jumps.
I raised my hand, but she didn’t listen to me, she just took it and lowered it. I had to somehow strain my body. Now, pah-pah-pah, everything is fine. And at that moment I didn’t understand what would happen. Somehow I let go of the situation, went to church, prayed that everything would be fine, and continued to work and perform until February. Moreover, there were daily performances. I had to take IVs and painkillers, which, in principle, did not help. I had to perform through pain. I understood that I was in pain, that it was hard for me, that the doctors there were shaking, because they were really afraid for me. And so, two weeks ago I finished work, called the doctors and said: “I am yours. Because until I’m cured, I won’t get on the ice.”
I was told that my problem and the operation was even more serious than that of Zhenya Plushenko. But it’s clear for Zhenya, he’s gone through so many surgeries, his entire back is probably already secured with these plates. I currently have it done on my neck. They didn’t show me all the way, they covered my scar, they did it through my throat. But he’s not so scary, I’m already used to it. The doctor said that the scar looks very sexy on me. I said okay. It’s such a spectacle, but in reality this is not the worst thing. My sister had it much worse when she had her surgeries. I still have flowers.
Now it’s hard for me, a little time has passed since the operation. I didn’t think it would be so hard, even psychologically. I feel like I'm out of shape because if you want to continue doing shows, you need muscle mass. Now, it seems to me that I don’t have it, I feel weak in my body. But I’m eager to get on the ice, I’ve already told the doctors about it. I'll go on the ice on Saturday, I don't know anything. This is my outlet. Everything is fine, I’m alive and practically healthy.
About winning the Olympics
Sochi gold is my fundamental point of view, it is the most expensive medal to my liking, in terms of how it was won. The medal is not shown to anyone and is stored very, very securely.
I was supposed to compete in a team tournament. But literally a week before departure everything changed. No, they didn’t tell me that “I’m not needed.” They simply said that “you didn’t make it to the team.”
In general, the federation didn’t tell me anything. My coach Elena Germanovna [Buyanova] said that I was going. I’m in a great mood, the workout is immediately different, I have strength, butterflies in my stomach - that’s how I felt from this news. And two days later Elena Germanovna tells me that we are not going. What kind of butterflies are there in the stomach then, it’s like a knife in the back.
I didn't understand why. It was painful and offensive. They still haven’t explained to me why I didn’t go. There was a choice between me and Yulia Lipnitskaya. They chose her. That's it. I can’t tell you anything further because I don’t know. But I experienced it, every person experiences their own.
It was painful. At that time I was in a state of apathy, I wanted to go next week and say that I was finishing figure skating altogether, I didn’t want to skate. At that moment my hands really gave up. Like a robot, I went out onto the ice to prepare for personal competitions. But only later did I realize that it was probably good that I was taken as a reserve for the team tournament.
I flew to Sochi for a day. Before the start of the team competition there was a training session, I, naturally, attended it - the reserve was obliged to go to training. She was 45 minutes. And during this training, I came to my senses for the first time in the week it took me to get into that state. I did elements that I probably hadn’t done before - I was so angry with everyone, with myself first of all. It was my fault: somewhere I didn’t prove that I deserve to be on the team. I came out and the federation leadership was just clapping.
I then returned, with such big eyes, I approached Elena Germanovna: “Elena Germanovna, there is such an atmosphere there!” She saw that Adeline had finally come to her senses. And this week was already really working, I didn’t feel sorry for myself. And I came to Sochi for the personal tournament as a different person. And she did everything.
When I finished, I didn’t realize that I had won gold. I had a feeling of pride that I skated cleanly, that I was able to overcome my condition. Knowing how I skate in training - without a single mistake, but competitions are completely different. I started to cry because I did it at the right time in the right place.
Only my parents and coach believed in me. My mother was present in the stands, I ran to her. Dad was at home with his sister. He said parting words over the phone.
I always forced my mother to go with me to competitions, because I have some kind of connection with her, since childhood. She is my guardian angel, my protection. Mom behaved very correctly then, I didn’t feel her excitement. Then she said that she almost died on the podium, she was shaking so much.
There was no relationship with Lipnitskaya. Well, we congratulated each other. As for before, after the Games our relationship has not changed. We were competitors on the ice; there are no friends on the ice. This is a sport.
I’m good friends with everyone on the team, I support everyone. I understand what kind of work it is. They continue to do this, everyone’s health is not smooth or sweet. But nevertheless they fight, this is a great respect for them.
About the promise to Vladimir Putin
The champions of the Spartakiad were gathered in Krylatskoye. There were different sports there. I won the Russian championship at the age of 12, I was allowed to go to the Spartakiad. They made an exception for me because I had been competing at the Spartakiad since I was 14 years old. I won there too.
And so, we gathered all the winners. I was so little. She seems modest, but nevertheless brazen. At that time, Vitaly Mutko was the Minister of Sports. He stood there, and then I didn’t understand who it was. Well, there is a man in a suit. I think: “I’ll go and ask him to take a photo.” My dad gave me a camera so that I could take a photo with Vladimir Vladimirovich.
And so, we were gathered, I was seated next to Vladimir Vladimirovich. I was still sitting with big eyes: “The president is sitting with me! How is this possible? It's all over, I look at that man in the suit. I go up to him and say: “Can you please take a picture of me with our president?” He’s like: “Wow, what a one!” Well, come on, I’ll take a photo!” I was delighted and pulled Putin by the jacket: “Vladimir Vladimirovich, can I take a photo with you, please?” He: “It’s possible.” We’ve already taken photos, but then I take the camera and say: “Something didn’t work out very well. Please re-photograph.”
Vladimir Vladimirovich here says: “Who are you?” I say: “Figure skater, Adelina Sotnikova.” He’s like, “What, is our hope for Sochi?” I answer: “Well, yes, I am a future Olympic champion.”
I was impudent. But she said it and said it. I didn’t think anyone remembered it, I forgot about it myself. And after the doping control, after the announcement of the grades in Sochi, Vitaly Leontievich came in, and the first thing he said: “I kept my promise!” And at first I think, what promise? Then I remembered what I said once then. If I hadn't asked him to take a photo, maybe he wouldn't have remembered me.
RIA News
About winning the Russian Championship at age 12
It was probably the realization that I was staying in big sport. This was a wake-up call for me. In six months I learned the Lutz-Rittberger, Salchow-Rittberger cascades, and all the complex elements. At that time it was very difficult. And then, after that moment, I started to grow, and everything went downhill.
The CSKA school gave me my first prize - 30 thousand rubles. My dad didn’t receive that kind of salary. The first thing I thought was: “30 thousand... that’s how much candy I can buy!” In general, without any thoughts, the main thing is that I can buy candy. Then, naturally, I said: “Dad, is this more than your salary?” I gave him money and that's it. Why do I need money at 12 years old? It is clear that parents know better where to use this money later.
From that moment on, my salary was already issued, and I started saving.
About my sister
For three years I saved for my sister’s treatment. And then Tatyana Anatolyevna [Tarasova] forced her parents to help Masha. Tatyana Anatolyevna found the Chulpan Khamatova Foundation, which helped with the operation. Because the operations were expensive, at that time my family did not have that much money. The foundation allocated money. And, naturally, the amount that I had accumulated over the years was given to my parents when my mother and Masha went to Germany.
She has a complex and rare diagnosis, I can’t even pronounce it. She had it from birth, probably even when her mother was pregnant, during the formation of the little man... When it came to her head, it’s not like she stopped developing... They did three operations: the chin, cheekbones, and the eyes were slightly corrected.
She also has a hearing problem: she has no ears. That's how our earlobes are - that's how her ears are.
They did not bring the child to the mother for three weeks, because they thought that the parents would immediately write a refusal letter from this person. That is, without even asking the parents, they immediately put my mother on waivers. The doctors didn’t even say at that time what they would do. When dad arrived, mom was already starting to panic: “Where is my baby?” The doctor said: “Why do you need such a child? Leave her." The parents simply told the doctors: “Think with your head before making such decisions.” That's it.
My parents never told me that Masha was some kind of sick person, that she had some kind of diagnosis. For me she was always healthy, I always played with her. Masha is a very beautiful girl.
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